I meant only to challenge two things you said:

Its not possible to genuinely compliment a stranger without putting in a lot of effort, which is creepy.

I don't put much effort into complimenting people. I notice something that's outside the norm and observe it. If I don't like it I don't compliment it, but I don't think one needs to know a person to acknowledge something one likes. It can easily drift into "creepy" territory, I agree with you there, so I avoid certain topics - that's also why I try to only say things in passing. Most of them are probably obvious, but one that caught me off guard is that "boots" can sound like "boobs." Much as I'm a fan of those, I've learned to say "shoes" these days.

And

Compliments should be for your friends and family

I strongly disagree. This is what inspired me to respond. Compliments should be for anyone you can respectfully flatter. There are compliments that should only be for your friends or family for sure. I try to regularly remind my wife of the things I love about her, but I wouldn't say those things to a stranger. It does come down to a matter of subjective judgment, though.